Jasan's Chosen
by catwraith
Summary: Jasan's POV as he Chooses Daren. Set during 'By the Sword'
1. Choosing

Disclaimer: Misty owns all of it. I only put it into my own words. I don't own anything.

A/N: This was inspired by Dark Hermit Kaelin's 'The Hazards of Choosing on a Battlefield'.

Valdemar was fighting Hardorn, and Jasan was running through the battlefield. He wasn't fighting though. His half-sister was out there somewhere with her chosen. Some people would say that this was no place for an unbonded Companion. He had no Herald. Yet. His chosen was out there he knew, and Jasan had to find him.

He ran on, dodging stray arrows as he went. His chosen was here somewhere, probably in the thick of it. His inner promptings told him that his chosen was not Valdemaran, but that was of little importance to Jasan. Three times he had thought it was time for him to go on Search, but each time, he was wrong. Bitter disappointment had followed each false alarm. At this point he would not have cared whether his chosen was Karsite. _Wonderful. I can't see a thing,_ he thought as he ran through a dust cloud. There! A man was thrown from his dying horse. This was his Chosen. As Jasan pounded up, the man grabbed his reins, prepared to jump up on his back. Then he made the mistake of looking into Jasan's eyes.

:_I am Jasan. You are Daren. I Choose you,_: he told the man, happy that he had finally found his Chosen:Now get the hell up here on my back before you get killed.: In the next instant Daren was in the saddle as Jasan received an urgent mindcall from Caryo, the Queen's Companion. The Queen was in danger. Daren became aware of this before Jasan could tell him, and moved to dig his spurs into Jasan's flanks.

:_Don't do that. Don't ever do that. Don't even think about it._: Jasan warned his chosen as they moved towards the Queen. Daren was thinking about how this must be like riding a warsteed. :Indeed: Jasan told him while trampling a man:A warsteed. I think not.: Although warsteeds were smart, he didn't like being compared to one.

:_Sorry,_: Daren replied and went back to fighting. When there was no one left to challenge them, Jasan paced towards the Queen. Daren seemed about to say something when he looked into her eyes. All at once he was tongue-tied. The Queen appeared to be having the same reaction.

:_Hmm. See something you like?_: Jasan asked smugly. This could be fun. Jasan had no love of camping in the outdoors, and the prospect of his chosen marrying the Queen and never going on circuit was a happy one.

A/N: I hope you liked it, and please review.


	2. Conversations

_:You do realize:_ Daren told Jasan as they paced up the hill to the palace beside Kerowyn and Sayvil, _:my brother is not going to be happy about this. Of course, there really isn't anything he can do about it. I wouldn't want to go back without you, Jasan:_

_:And I don't want you to go back without me:_ Jasan told him, _:You know, I think your friend Kerowyn is going to have an interesting time of it with Sayvil:_ As he said this he thought to himself, _and my dear friend the former Herald-Mage Savil is going to have an interesting time of it as well._

_:Why do you say that:_ came the inevitable question.

_:Because they're two of the most stubborn females in Valdemar at this moment:_ he told his Chosen with unconcealed glee.

_:I heard that:_ Sayvil was glaring at them. So was Kero. Sayvil must have told her. Darn! He thought he had been shielding. He sighed and reinforced his shields again.

_:So Sayvil is that stubborn as well:_ Daren asked him.

_:Exactly so:_ he replied, _:I wish we could get to the palace faster. I'm getting hungry. I haven't eaten since this morning and the sun is going down:_

_:I haven't eaten since yesterday evening, so quit complaining:_ Daren told him.

_:Would you like to carry me:_ Jasan asked his Chosen sweetly, _:I'm the one who's doing the work here.: __  
_  
_:No thank you:_ Daren shuddered, _:You are already large for a Companion. You need the exercise.: _ Jasan was about to reply when he was interrupted by both Sayvil and Kero.

_:Men:_ He could tell from Daren's fidgeting that his Chosen had heard that as well. _Why can't I seem to shield Sayvil out? _he thought to himself.

_:Because we were both Herald-Mages at one point and we knew each other quite well. That makes it very easy to overhear.:_ Sayvil informed him_. :Your own thoughts nearly caused Vanyel's death, and they did cause your own. Because of that, I've been watching your thoughts ever since we both came back.: __  
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_:Wonderful:_ Jasan groaned, _:I came back hoping to see Felar, only to have him die soon after I get here, I don't Chose until I'm almost as old as I was when I died, and now I find out you've been watching my thoughts off and on. I thought Heralds didn't do that.: __  
_  
_:They don't:_ she replied, _:and I haven't really been watching your thoughts, only listening in on your mindspeech. I really am sorry about Felar, but as to your other complaints, we came back at the same time, and I Chose after you did. Besides, you are half-brother to the Queen's Companion, and your Chosen is likely to marry the Queen. You aren't likely to have to do a circuit, now are you.: __  
_  
_:Neither are you, your Chosen will probably join Jeri in replacing Alberich as Weaponsmaster.:_ He sobered _:Come to think of it, he needs to retire anyway. Both he and Kantor are getting old.: __  
_  
_:That they are. But don't let either of them hear you saying that, you'd probably end up running the obstacle course three hours a day for three months. At least that's what happened to the last person who told him that.: __  
_  
_:I know.:_ They walked in silence for a while until Jasan spotted the palace gates. _:Chosen:_ he grinned, then winced, as Daren jumped, _:we're almost home.:_


End file.
